Biocontrol Effect of on Infection and Mycotoxin Detoxification in Oat ().

Oat () is susceptible to Fusarium head blight (FHB). The quality of oat grain is threatened by the accumulation of mycotoxins, particularly the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON), which also acts as a virulence factor for the main pathogen . The plant can defend itself, e.

Identification and Functional Characterisation of Two Oat UDP-Glucosyltransferases Involved in Deoxynivalenol Detoxification.

Oat is susceptible to several Fusarium species that cause contamination with different trichothecene mycotoxins. The molecular mechanisms behind Fusarium resistance in oat have yet to be elucidated. In the present work, we identified and characterised two oat UDP-glucosyltransferases orthologous to barley HvUGT13248.

Fungal endophytes in plants and their relationship to plant disease.

The enigmatic endophytic fungi are beginning to reveal their secrets. Like pathogens, they can manipulate the host for their own benefit to create their own optimal habitat. Some endophytic manipulations induce resistance or otherwise outcompete pathogens and can thus be exploited for biological control.

The Fungal Endophyte ML37 Reduces Fusarium Head Blight by Local Induced Resistance in Wheat Spikes.

The fungal endophyte ML37 is a biocontrol agent of Fusarium head blight in wheat (caused by ), which has shown a limited direct inhibition of fungal growth in vitro. We used RNA-seq and LC-MS/MS analyses to elucidate metabolic interactions of the three-way system Penicillium-wheat-Fusarium in greenhouse experiments. We demonstrated that ML37 colonises wheat spikes and transiently activates plant defence mechanisms, as pretreated spikes show a faster and stronger expression of the defence metabolism during the first 24 h after pathogen inoculation.